Roughly a month following his passing, a death certificate reveals the 'Lethal Weapon' and 'Superman' director passed away from 'cardiopulmonary failure.'
- Aug 11, 2021
AceShowbiz - Richard Donner died of heart failure.
The "Lethal Weapon" and "Superman" director passed away on 5 July (21), aged 91. His wife, producer Lauren Schuler Donner, revealed following his death that he was "very sick" and, according to his death certificate, the star died of "cardiopulmonary failure."
It also listed "atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease" as an "underlying cause."
Born Richard D. Schwartzberg in New York City, Donner's credits also include "Scrooged", "The Goonies", "Ladyhawke", "The Omen", and "Conspiracy Theory".
His first film as a director was Rat Pack comedy "Salt and Pepper" in 1968.
Before that, he spent 18 years overseeing episodes of TV shows like "The Loretta Young Show", "Wanted: Dead or Alive", "The Rifleman", and "Have Gun - Will Travel".
But his most famous films were the first two Superman movies, starring Christopher Reeve, and Mel Gibson and Danny Glover's "Lethal Weapons".
He famously removed his name from "Superman II" after producers brought in Richard Lester to "complete" the sequel. Donner's director's cut of the film was released in 2006.
As producers, Donner and his wife Lauren were the brains behind the "X-Men" franchise.
Paying tribute to the movie mogul following his passing, Mel Gibson called Donner "My friend, my mentor," adding, "Oh, the things I learned from him! He undercut his own talent and greatness with a huge chunk of humility referring to himself as 'merely a traffic cop.' "
"He left his ego at the door and required that of others. He was magnanimous of heart and soul, which he liberally gave to all who knew him. If we piled up all the good deeds he did, it would stretch to some uncharted place in the firmament. I will sorely miss him, with all his mischievous wit and wisdom."
